Reversible earring jewelry

ABSTRACT

A reversible earring comprising a post and an ornament. The ornament is spherically connected to the post and has more than one ornamental face, and the spherical connection comprises a ball member and a cradle. The cradle partially encloses the ball member, permitting the ornament to be reversed by swiveling the ornament about the spherical connection on axes of rotation that pass through the ball member.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to reversible ornamentation in an article of jewelry, and in particular, in an earring design.

BACKGROUND ART

Earring jewelry has been worn since at least 3000 B.C., initially to protect the wearer from evil spirits. Probably the most famous ancient use of earrings was by the Egyptian pharaohs. In fact, the pierced ears of King Tutankhamen himself are evident from his sculptures. Centuries later, during the era of the Roman Empire, earrings became a way for the rich to display their wealth.

To accommodate various styles and purposes for wearing them, earring design has changed over the millennia. In King Tut's day, grooved earplugs fit into a stretched hole in the wearer's earlobe. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, large earrings known as girandoles and pendeloques began to weigh down the earlobes of their wearers. Historically, persons who wish to wear earrings must have several on hand to fit each mood, fashion, occasion, or personal style of the wearer. But the high cost of jewelry often made it difficult for wearers to purchase each desired design. By the 1970's, earring design had become very diverse, running the full range of possible styles and types. Even with all of the current diversity in styles, however, jewelry often remains expensive to acquire.

Reversible jewelry offers a solution to these problems. Reversible earrings, in particular, permit the wearer to display different designs on the various faces of the earring's ornament. This reversibility permits the wearer to maintain a flexible collection of earrings while reducing the number of pieces that the wearer must buy or carry around.

Therefore, the present invention provides a reversible article of jewelry, particularly an earring, to allow the wearer to conveniently alter the jewelry to fit the occasion or their mood, fashion, or personal style.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

This disclosure is directed to a reversible article of jewelry, especially a reversible earring or pendant. An embodiment of the invention permits the wearer to conveniently alter their earrings to fit the occasion or their mood, fashion, or personal style by providing an earring whose ornament can be changed from one ornamental face to another. This change is accomplished quickly and without the need for tools since the ornament can be easily swiveled about a spherical mount on the earring's post.

In a version of the invention, the article of jewelry comprises an attachment member and an ornament. The attachment member has an attachment end and an ornament end. The attachment end is shaped to permit connection to the wearer, while the ornament end has a ball member. The ornament has more than one decorative face and is spherically connected to the ornament end of the attachment member, such that the ornament may rotate about more than one axis of rotation, each axis passing through the ball member.

In one version of the invention, the article of jewelry is a reversible earring that comprises a post and an ornament. The ornament is spherically connected to the post, has more than one ornamental face, and can be rotated about more than one axis of rotation that passes through the spherical connection. The spherical connection comprises a ball member and a cradle, which partially encloses the ball member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a reversible earring showing a first ornamental face.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of an embodiment of a reversible earring showing a second ornamental face.

FIG. 3 is a front view of an embodiment of the reversible earring showing an axis of rotation used to reverse the ornament.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, showing an axis of rotation used to reverse the ornament.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a reversible earring showing a hemisphere of rotation of the ornament.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the cradle region of an embodiment of a reversible earring.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of presently-preferred embodiments of the invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. However, it is to be understood that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the reversible earring 10 comprises a post 12 and an ornament, or adornment, 14. The post 12 has an ornament end 11 and an inserted end 13, where the inserted end is shaped to extend into a pierced ear. The ornament 14 is spherically connected to the post 12. The ornament 14 further has a plurality of ornamental faces, where each ornamental face may present a different ornamental design to viewers of the earring. The ornament 14 also has a connection end 15 and a free end 17. The post 12 may contain a post backing 24 to secure the reversible earring 10 onto the wearer.

In a version of the invention as depicted in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the ornament 14 has a first ornamental face 20 and a second ornamental face 22, where the first ornamental face 20 is originally facing forward and the second ornamental face 22 is originally facing backward.

The spherical connection may comprise a ball member 16 and a cradle 18. The ball member 16 is connected to the ornament end of the post 12, and the cradle 18 is connected to the ornament 14. The ball member 16 may comprise a spherical mount, ball, rounded connector, or other similar structure. The cradle 18 may comprise a buttress, prop, bracket, brace, stay, or other structure to partially enclosed the ball member 16, such that the ornament 14 is connected to the post 12 while permitting the ornament 14 to be rotated, pivoted, revolved, spun, or swiveled through a partial sphere, the partial sphere being defined by two axes of rotation that pass through the ball member 16. In some embodiments, the partial sphere approximates a hemisphere.

The cradle 18 may abut the ball member 16 on at least two sides. As shown in FIG. 6, the cradle 18 may comprise at least two recesses 19. The recesses 19 may comprise divots, scallops, dimples, cavities, or other engagement structures, each shaped to receive a portion of the ball member 16. In embodiments having two such engagement structures, the recesses 19 may be on generally opposite sides of the ball member 16. As depicted by FIG. 6, for example, the recesses 19 may be located on generally parallel faces at the connection end 15 of the ornament 14.

FIG. 3 is a front plan view of an embodiment of a reversible earring 10, and FIG. 4 is a side view of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3. The ornament 14 of the reversible earring 10 is reversed by swiveling the ornament 14 about the ball member 16 around two axes. The ornament 14 is swiveled about the ball member 16 in a generally 180 degree arc about a first axis of rotation 21 that passes through the ball member 16. In some embodiments, the first axis of rotation 21 is generally parallel to the post 12. This rotation is indicated in FIG. 3. The ornament 14 is also swiveled about the ball member 16 in a generally 180 degree arc about a second axis of rotation 23 that is oblique or orthogonal to the first axis of rotation 21 and also passes through the ball member 16. This rotation is indicated in FIG. 4. These two swivel motions define the hemisphere through which the ball member 16 and the cradle 18 permit the ornament 14 to be rotated. Because of the spherical connection, these two swiveling steps can be performed simultaneously. The result is that the second ornamental face 22, which was originally facing backward, now faces forward. The locus of points representing a hemisphere that may be traced by swiveling the ornament 14 about the ball member 16 is represented by FIG. 5. The ornament 14 may be pointed in any direction within the hemisphere, and sample positions are depicted in FIG. 5. In some embodiments, the reversing steps can be performed while the reversible earring 10 is worn by the user.

While the present invention has been described with regards to particular embodiments, it is recognized that additional variations of the present invention may be devised without departing from the inventive concept.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

This invention can be used by jewelry makers and designers, particularly earring designers, to provide an article of jewelry with reversible ornamentation. 

1. An earring for a pierced ear comprising: (a) a post having an ornament end and an inserted end, the inserted end being shaped to extend into a pierced ear; and (b) an ornament having more than one ornamental face and being spherically connected to the post, the spherical connection comprising: i. a ball member connected to the ornament end of the post; and ii. a cradle connected to the ornament, the cradle comprising a first recess on a first face of the cradle and a second recess on a second face of the cradle, the first face and the second face being generally parallel and generally on opposite sides of the ball member, wherein the ball member is partially enclosed by the cradle, such that the ornament is connected to the post while permitting the ornament to revolve about a first axis of rotation in a generally 180 degree arc, the first axis of rotation passing through the ball member, and permitting the ornament to revolve about a second axis of rotation in a generally 180 degree arc, the second axis of rotation passing through the ball member and being oblique to the first axis of rotation.
 2. An earring for a pierced ear comprising: (a) an ear post structure having an ornament end and an inserted end, the inserted end being shaped to extend into a pierced ear; and (b) an ornament having a connection end and a free end, having more than one ornamental face, and being spherically connected to the ear post structure, the spherical connection comprising: i. a ball member connected to the ornament end of the ear post structure; and ii. a cradle connected to the ornament, wherein the ball member is partially enclosed by the cradle, such that the ornament is connected to the ear post structure while permitting the ornament to revolve about more than one axis of rotation, each axis passing through the ball member.
 3. The earring of claim 2 wherein the cradle further comprises a first recess on a first face of the cradle and a second recess on a second face of the cradle, the first face and the second face being generally parallel and generally on opposite sides of the ball member.
 4. The earring of claim 2 wherein the ornament pivots generally through a partial sphere, the partial sphere being defined by the locus of points through which the free end of the ornament travels while the ornament: (a) rotates about a first axis of rotation in a generally 180 degree arc, the first axis of rotation passing through the ball member; and (b) rotates about a second axis of rotation in a generally 180 degree arc, the second axis of rotation passing through the ball member and being oblique to the first axis of rotation.
 5. An article of jewelry for a wearer comprising: (a) an attachment member having an attachment end and an adornment end, the attachment end being shaped to permit connection to the wearer, and the adornment end concluding with a ball member; and (b) an adornment having more than one decorative surface and having a connection end and a free end, the connection end comprising a cradle, wherein the ball member is partially enclosed by the cradle, the cradle being mounted on the ball member such that the adornment may rotate about more than one axis of rotation, each axis passing through the ball member.
 6. The article of jewelry of claim 5 wherein the cradle further comprises a first dimple on a first face of the cradle and a second dimple on a second face of the cradle, the first dimple and the second dimple being generally on opposite sides of the ball member.
 7. The article of jewelry of claim 5 wherein the adornment rotates generally through a hemisphere, wherein the hemisphere is defined by the locus of points through which the free end of the adornment travels while the adornment: (a) swivels in a generally 180 degree arc about a first axis of rotation that passes through the ball member; and (b) swivels in a generally 180 degree arc about a second axis of rotation that passes through the ball member, the second axis of rotation being oblique to the first axis of rotation.
 8. A method of reversing an ornament of an article of jewelry comprising the steps of: (a) constraining an article of jewelry having an attachment member and an ornament, the attachment member having an ornament end, the ornament being spherically connected to the ornament end of the attachment member, the spherical connection comprising a ball member, and the ornament having a first ornamental face and a second ornamental face, wherein the first ornamental face is facing forward and the second ornamental face is facing backward; and (b) reversing the ornament such that the first ornamental face is facing backward and the second ornamental face is facing forward by: i. swiveling the ornament about the spherical connection in a 180 degree arc about a first axis of rotation passing through the spherical connection; and ii. swiveling the ornament about the spherical connection in a 180 degree arc about a second axis of rotation that passes through the spherical connection and is oblique to the first axis of rotation.
 9. The method of claim 8 wherein the article of jewelry comprises an earring and wherein the attachment member comprises a post, wherein the earring is constrained by insertion of the post into a user's pierced ear, such that the reversing is performed while the earring is worn by the user.
 10. A method of positioning an ornament of an earring comprising the steps of: (a) constraining an earring having an earring post and an ornament, the earring post having an ornament end comprising a ball member, the ornament having a free end and a cradle, wherein the ball member is partially enclosed by the cradle to create a spherical connection between the ornament and the earring post, the ornament having a first ornamental face and a second ornamental face; and (b) positioning the ornament by: i. revolving the ornament about a first axis of rotation passing through the spherical connection; and ii. revolving the ornament about a second axis of rotation passing through the spherical connection and being oblique to the first axis of rotation.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of positioning the ornament comprises positioning the free end of the ornament anywhere within a partial sphere, the partial sphere being defined by the locus of points through which the free end of the ornament travels while the ornament: (a) revolves in a generally 180 degree arc about a first axis of rotation passing through the spherical connection; and (b) revolves in a generally 180 degree arc about a second axis of rotation that passes through the spherical connection and is oblique to the first axis of rotation. 